[REVIEW] Halsey - Badlands

She’s been called the meaner Taylor Swift, the darker Lorde. Her single “New Americana” has been hailed as a pop anthem for the new generation. But 20-year-old Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, otherwise known as Halsey, is so much more than that and she demonstrates that in her debut album Badlands.

Badlands seethes with fury. Halsey spits venom throughout the album, challenging anyone who tries to stop her. Her lyrics are frank and shameless, as the first line of “Strange Love” proves: “Everybody wants to know if we fucked on the bathroom sink.” Halsey is brutally honest about who she is.

Throughout the album she refers to her mental illness and dangerous vices. These themes are brought up multiple times, including the haunting “Control,” where she sighs, “I can’t help this awful energy/Goddamn right, you should be scared of me/Who is in control?” In “Castle,” she shows her defiance for authority and in a way establishes herself as a young feminist voice with the line, “And there’s an old man sitting on the throne that’s saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut.”

The brilliant part of Halsey’s album is how easily she weaves her moody, sometimes uncomfortable lyrics into the catchy, lush landscape of her songs. She sweeps the listener away with her, especially in songs like “Drive,” which includes sound effects that mimic an old car driving down a rainy highway.

Most of Badlands is a strong, unique take on an issue close to the singer, who has fought her own personal demons and has been forced to deal with losing friends to substance abuse. However, at some points Halsey’s message begins to feel repetitive. While it shows how closely her emotions are tied to her music, it feels stale after a while.

Despite its convoluted moments, Badlands remains a strong debut for Halsey. Her music has already set her apart from Swift and Lorde, and as her fame grows, she stands in a position to become a definitive voice for the supposed darker side of this generation.